


Sleeping in The Woods

by Jungle321jungle



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Comedy, Drama, Dramedy, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, Mystery, Summer Camp, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 09:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22847905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jungle321jungle/pseuds/Jungle321jungle
Summary: It was never in Virgil’s plan to be a camp counselor, he had never been a fan of kids.It was never in his plan to learn to enjoy each of the boy’s company, he had never wanted to learn the truths behind their fake smiles.It was never in his plan to get wrapped up in things he didn’t understand, he had always preferred to keep to himself.None of it was ever his plan, but he’d do whatever he’d have to save everyone- even if it means risking himself.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil & Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton & Deceit Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Deceit Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 39
Kudos: 181





	1. One

** One **

  
Virgil had never been a fan of children. 

They were loud, annoying, needy, and tried his patience to the point that driving off a cliff would be better than babysitting. 

But when his mother had demanded that he get a job for the summer instead of: “becoming the newest piece of furniture in their home”, his father had unfortunately overheard. And of course because of truly cinematic timing, one of his coworkers had a son, Thomas, who would be working at Camp Storytime which was short a counselor. 

Virgil already hated it at the sound of its name. 

But upon research he had learned that due to being a camp for rich kids, the pay was  _ very  _ nice. So he had put on his best fake smile for that Skype interview where he had essentially lied to every question. 

“Let's start easy, do you like kids?”

“Of course. Why would I be applying if I didn’t?”

The camp director had given a laugh, “So what age do you prefer?”

“I don’t really have a preference, but given I just graduated high school I’m not sure some of the older kids would really respect me.”

“Do you enjoy fairy tales? And all that goes with them? The younger kids are really into all of our themes. We have Pirate Days, and Royalty Days, and last summer we even had a Monster Day. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?”

“Yeah, it sounds fun. What’s not to like about being a pirate? Well, other than scurvy.”

Despite getting the job, Virgil was not one hundred percent he could pull off the facade necessary to get through the summer. 

But with training ending and campers arriving in a couple days, he didn’t really have a choice. 

“Alright now that general training rules and protocol have been drilled into your head, it’s time to find out which cabin you’ve got and get your rosters. So you’ve got the rest of the day to move in and start prepping.”

Virgil gave a heavy swallow as the papers were passed around. For the last few nights they had all shared one cabin while the others were being prepared for campers, but now he was going to have to move elsewhere and truly begin to prepare for responsibility. 

Yay.

He just hoped he was paired with one of the more competent counselors. 

“Oh I got the Prince Cabin with Jon,” Thomas commented handing the stack of papers to Virgil. 

Virgil glanced over Thomas’s shoulder, “Nineteen of them, you enjoy that.”

Thomas shrugged, “What do you have?”

Virgil gave a breath and finally flipped through and pulled out the assignment sheet with his name in confusion. 

While it clearly said which grade and cabin was his, 4th and Wizard Cabin, it only listed five names under campers. 

“Only five?” Thomas asked in surprise. “There’s really not that many Wizards this year, huh?”

“I’m by myself,” Virgil realized after a short pause as he passed the papers on. 

“Well yeah, the ratio is ten to one. So you lucked out with half that.”

Virgil blinked before looking Thomas in the eye, “But I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Fake it till you make it? But hey, if you really need help I’m in the Cabin next door.”

Virgil mumbled a thank you in reply. 

  
  


Another thing Virgil had never been amazing at was decorations. And yet he had been tasked with decorating the cabin in a “wizard theme”. He wasn’t even sure he knew what that meant. So for now he guessed, and decided he was going to over use glitter, make some wands out of something, and maybe throw some glow in the dark stars up- was that too young for fourth graders?

Oh well, they would have to deal with it. 

“Your stars are in the wrong places.”

Virgil’s mouth had opened and closed as the kid walked past him to sit on a bottom bunk bed. He looked at Virgil with a bored expression from behind his glasses, “This one says Dante but I want to sleep here.”

“Logan Ackroyd,” his mother chided before he held out a hand. “I apologize, you said it was Virgil, right? I’m Patricia Ackroyd, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Virgil nodded slowly before he pulled off the “Dante” sign and moved to the Logan one to switch them, silently wondering why the name sounded familiar. 

“Oh you don’t have to,” his mother tried. “I’m sorry he’s being difficult.” She then sent her son a look which he stiffened at. “Usually he holds himself with a better demeanor.”

“It’s fine,” Virgil told her switching the signs. “I figured that I might get a complaint if I labeled things anyway.”

“I notice there’s only five names?”

“Only five kids apparently.”

“Interesting. Well Logan, let's get you unpacked.”

Virgil made awkward small talk as they did so before the next campers voices could be heard as they approached. 

“But why can’t we be in the  _ Prince Cabin _ ,” groaned a small voice before an exasperated voice replied,

“That one’s for fifth graders.”

“But I don’t want to be a wizard!”

“Me neither!”

“Doesn’t matter what you want!”

The voices turned out to belong to the two twins which had been on his list. Roman and Remus Regis. Along with them were their parents- who did not look happy to be there. But then again the movie stars that they were, he guessed they didn’t really love the idea of being in a dirty forest. 

“Sentor!” Their mother, Daniela Regis he recalled, cried suddenly excited going over to where Logan’s mother had been kneeling by a very small dresser (Virgil silently wondered the point of having dressers at all when each looked like they held four shirts at once). “It’s  _ so _ good to meet you again.”

Senator? 

Well, these were supposed to be rich kids. 

Logan’s mother stood and gave a well practiced smile as she dusted off her skirt. “Hello Daniela.”

“You the counselor?”

Virgil turned away from the women to the man who had entered, movie star Michael Regis. Virgil hoped he was good at poker faces, “Yes. I’m Virgil.”

He nodded and set down the two suitcases beside the beds, “Keep them in check.”

“Got it...”

With that the man moved beside his wife to chat up senator Ackroyd. 

“I’m Remus,” one the twins stated looking over to Logan. Virgil made a mental note that Remus was the one with a light patch in his hair. “This is my brother Roman. I’m gonna guess you’re Logan?”

Logan looked away from the conversation in front of him and gave a stiff nod, “Yes.” The boy said it with such finality that made it clear that he didn’t want to be spoken to, but that sentiment was apparently ignored. 

“Have you ever been to a camp like this before?” Roman asked him. 

“Do you like pranks?” Remus added. 

“I’m gonna unpack,” was Logan’s reply as he moved to do so. 

“Logan,” Mrs. Ackroyd tried, but the Regis’ were not letting up. 

“Really? You know the director?”

For an actress Mrs. Regis was not very good at sounding as if she hadn’t rehearsed. 

“Did you make the wands?” Roman asked appearing at Virgil's side. 

“Uh yeah... I did. Why?”

The wands weren’t anything too special. He had simply taken a few cool looking sticks and cut them down with a pocket knife. And then Thomas had thought they were plain and had doodled on some mainly out of boredom. 

“Ollivander said the  _ wand _ chooses the person. And  _ you _ chose for us.”

Virgil blinked, before he came up with a quick response, “You're not eleven yet. These are trainer wands.”

The boy seemed surprised by the response, but with that he backed off. Unfortunately Logan didn’t. 

“Do we have to wear robes?”

“It’s summer so I think we can make an exception. Plus, we’re not British.”

Whatever was going to be his response was cut off by the sound of loud laughter from outside. And then moments later two women and a little boy entered. The first woman Viegil recognized as the head counselor as Delia, but the other woman looked like she should be anywhere but the middle of the woods. 

She was tall, skinny, wearing a tube top and a very short skirt with tall heels. Her long dark hair was done in a fancy way and her make up was perfect too. 

It just didn’t make sense. At all. 

“I was coming to check in and I bumped into another one of yours,” Delia smiled. “This is Charlotte Ekans and her son Dante.”

Beside the super out of place looking woman Dante gave a smile and wave and Virgil forced himself not to stare at the boy’s half scarred face. 

“I’m Virgil,” Virgil introduced. He then motioned to an empty bunk bed, “That spot over there is yours. Since there’s only five of you guys each get a top and bottom bunk to yourselves.”

“So you’re missing one?” Delia observed. “That’s not bad. Alright I’m heading to the next Cabin.”

“Michael! How are you?” Virgil’s attention was redirected as Mrs. Ekans walked up to Mr. Regis and pulled him into a tight hug. “How long has it been?”

“Hello Charlotte,” Mrs. Regis said as she gave a tight lipped smile. “I didn’t know your son went to  _ this  _ camp?”

“This is his second summer,” she replied letting go of Mr. Regis to hug his wife. 

She pushed away near instantly, “We should be going Michael.”

The two left then with a few parting words to the Senator- and yet none to their sons. 

“How are you Patricia?” Mrs. Ekans asked heading back to Dante to help him unpack. 

“I’m fine,” Mrs. Ackroyd replied. “I do thank you for clearing my space to breathe.”

“You can always count on me for  _ anything _ ... you know that.”

“Can I change my sign?” Dante asked Virgil. “I like to go by Dee.”

Dammit he should’ve thought about what the kids preferred. 

“We have arts and crafts tomorrow,” Virgil started. “You could make a new one?”

Dee nodded satisfied as he pulled out his bedding, “That works.” He then looked to the other three boys in the room, “I’m Dee. What’s your names?”

“I’m Roman!” Remus answered eagerly. Wait. That was Remus wasn’t it? “What happened to your face?” 

Virgil sucked in a breath quickly as he took a step forward, “Roman- Remus,  _ either _ lets not ask people personal questions like that, okay?”

But apparently it hadn’t bothered Dee as he leaned forward on his bed, “Take a guess.”

Remus(?) gave a large smile, “You were abducted by aliens?”

“Nope.”

“Attacked by a shark!”

“No.”

“Wouldn’t something like a car crash make more sense?” Logan interrupted. “Or just being born with it?”

“But that’s boring,” Remus complained. “Ooo! What about jumping out of a speeding car?”

“Logan we mind our own business,” his mother stated sternly. 

“It’s fine,” Dee told her with a smile. “And no to the speeding car.”

“Bear attack?”

“Nope.”

“Cannibal.”

“Nope.”

“Lochness monster- no  _ Bigfoot _ !”

“Still no.”

“I’m going to figure it out,” Roman(?) replied. 

“You won’t,” he smiled back before he pointed to the twin who hadn’t been speaking. “So he's Roman. What’s your name again?”

“Remus, I’m the one going gray from having the stress of a younger twin.”

Roman hit his brother with a pillow in reply. 

Virgil blinked as he ran the encounter over in his head. How did he know that wasn’t Roman when Remus has introduced himself as his brother?

“Alright Lo, I think you’re all set,” Mrs. Ackroyd was saying as she pulled her son into a hug. “Remember the rules?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“ _ All _ of them?”

“ _ Yes _ .”

“Good,” she pressed a kiss to his hair. “Love you.” She went to leave, but she hesitated at the door. “Charlotte are you perhaps free this evening?”

The other mother gave her a smile, “I have plans. But I can walk out with you? And if you’re feeling generous enough, could you give me a ride back? We were dropped off.”

“Then how were you planning to get back in the first place?”

“Who knows.”

The two women left then leaving Virgil alone with four kids. 

The living nightmare was beginning. 

He gave a sigh as he sat on one one of the unused beds. 

_ The pay is great. The pay is great. The pay is great.  _

“So what do we do now?” Roman asked him. 

Virgil cringed, “Well the plan is just for us to hang out here for the rest of the afternoon until dinner. After that is a campfire then bed. Then tomorrow we have a full day with swimming, arts and crafts, games and other things.”

“Can we go explore?” Remus asked. 

Virgil shook his head, “Sorry, but no. There’s only one of me and I need to stay here in case our last camper shows up. But we can all play a game in here?”

“What kind of game?”

“Um... that depends on what you guys like.”

“Let’s play mafia!” Dee cheered after a moment. 

“We need more people for that,” Logan disagreed. “Are there any board games?”

“No,” Virgil answered. “They’re in a different building.”

“Let’s play quack-a-dilly-oh-my,” Roman suggested. 

With that they had gathered in a circle on the floor and begun to play- until an argument about the lyrics had arose. 

“It’s eat a  _ marshmallow _ ,” Logan said crossing his arms. 

Remus shook his head, “No it’s your face is turning  _ yellow _ !” 

“It’s yellow,” Dee agreed while Roman nodded. “Right Virgil?”

Virgil shrugged, “I grew up with both.”

“See? He’s on our side.”

“That's not what he said,” Logan disagreed. 

“Either way you’re outnumbered,” Roman announced. “So what does your opinion matter?”

“Everyone’s opinion matters,” Virgil tried but he didn’t think he was heard. 

As the argument escalated Virgil gave a groan, thankfully he was saved by the door opening and a boy walking in beside Thomas. 

“This one got a bit lost,” Thomas explained setting down the kid’s bag. “This is Patton.”

Patton gave a wide smile, “Hi! What are your names?”

While the other boys stood up to introduce themselves Virgil moved over to Thomas. “Where’s his parents?” He asked quietly. 

Thomas gave a shrug, “He was just left at the entrance.”

Virgil gave an awkward nod and looked back to the boys.

“Patton, are the lyrics to quack-a-dilly-oh-my ‘eat a marshmallow’ or ‘your face is turning yellow’?” Logan asked. 

Patton seemed confused by the question but he answered anyway as he put his small backpack on his bed, “It’s marshmallow- oh cool a wand!”

“ _ See _ ?”

“You’re  _ still _ outnumbered,” Roman reminded him. 

Logan gave a frown before he turned to Thomas. But Thomas was faster, “Well I need to get back to my own cabin.”

~~~~

Someway, somehow, Virgil managed to survive the afternoon. He had helped Patton set up his bed (before the twins because they hadn’t actually done more then dump stuff out) and then it had been time to take a small tour. 

He showed them places around the camp, from the fields to the bathrooms, to the dining hall for dinner and a few others in between. And for a little while Virgil thought he could actually do this. 

And then a scream woke him in the middle of the night. 

Virgil shot up from his bed and promptly fell to the floor. He hurried out his room and into the next one hitting the light as he did. When he did he found Remus and Dee laying on the floor cackling beside Roman who was comforting a crying Patton. Meanwhile Logan gave the world a glare from where he had sat up in his bed. 

“He’s fine,” Dee laughed. 

“The spider is fake Patton!” Roman was trying. 

“Can we reenact that?” Remus asked between gasps of laughter. “Virgil can take a video!”

“You’re all stupid,” Logan mumbled flopping back down and pulling a blanket over his head. 

Virgil gave a deep breath calm down his now quick beating heart, but his fear as he did his worry was replaced by anger. “All of you,  _ go to bed!” _

“Some of us are trying!” Logan shouted back. 

“It's the first night of camp,” Dee frowned. “Did you expect us to sleep?”

Virgil gave the child an annoyed glare, “I expect you to be quiet enough that  _ I  _ can sleep.”

“Have you ever  _ been _ to camp before?”

“Get in your bed. I don't give a-” He forced himself to take a breath. “Just get in your bed and be quiet. All of you... Patton do you want water or something?”

Patton had calmed slightly and shook his head as he wiped at his eyes, “‘M okay.”

Virgil nodded and headed back to his room. “Just be quiet. No. Be  _ silent.  _ Understood?”

“Yes Mr. Virgil!” Remus mocked climbing into his bed. 

It was going to be a long summer. 


	2. Two

**Two**

If it wasn’t clear that first day, by the start of the second week it was obvious that the boys enjoyed testing Virgil’s patience. 

Roman appeared to have a habit of running ahead and getting into messes. Remus seemed to make it his personal mission to attempt to scare Virgil. Dee tried to challenge everything Virgil said or did. And Patton was just so adorable that his innocence made Virgil feel bad for even considering swearing in front of him. 

Then Logan was annoying him purely by being there. The boy seemed so very unimpressed by everything going around him, and it seemed he hated every other kid in the world. He would sit back from the group, refuse to participate, and damn was Virgil envious of him for doing so. 

It wasn’t fair that Logan could just sit around and get away with it, but if he did so “he was bad at it his job”. All Virgil wanted was a childless few hours for a nap. 

Well maybe not a few. 

Maybe a day? Two? A year? Yeah a year sounded good. 

Anything which would stop  _ this _ .

**“** Okay arms out!” One of the little Witches cheered. Despite having heard her name at least four times Virgil had promptly forgotten it. Maybe Madison? The other cabin had at least 17 girls and Virgil couldn’t keep up. Even so he complied with demands and let her take his measurements. 

“Why do you need these again?” He asked her. 

“I’m gonna draw you and it needs to be  _ super _ precise.”

Virgil gave a grimace, “Can’t you just draw an apple like everyone else?”

“Nope.”

“Strike a pose!” Remus called out. 

A large suggestion of poses met his ears. “Are you _all_ drawing me?”

Virgil wasn’t sure why he asked because he got a chorus of yes in return. Virgil looked to his fellow counselors for help, but the two girls seemed to have checked out- like Virgil wanted to- and left him to deal with the mess. 

Over with them Virgil noticed Logan as well. 

Unlike the other children which were being a bother in general, he had made himself comfortable beside the other counselors with a book, but he kept sending a glare Virgil’s way. 

It’s not like Virgil wanted this. He wanted to be home with a book on his couch. 

But no, he gave a deep sigh and gave a stupid pose for the kids to draw. 

  
  


“Are you going to hang up your portraits?” Dee asked as they walked toward the Cabin. 

Virgil looked up from where he was staring at the stack of drawings in his hands. “I haven’t decided.”

“He’s going to throw them out,” Logan stayed plainly. 

“I never said that,” Virgil frowned. “I think they’re just gonna go in a bag.”

“You don’t need to pretend to like them.”

Virgil opened his mouth to respond but after a pause he rifled through the pages to find a stick figure version of himself with a cape and crown. “I’m not pretending,” he said turning the page for Logan to see. “I really like this one for example.”

Logan rolled his eyes but didn’t say more. 

  
  


~~~~

“Logan,” Virgil tried. “Are you actually going to swim or are you going to just sit on the beach the entire time?”

“I sat on the beach yesterday. So I’ll do it today too.”

Virgil gave a sigh, “Everyone else is swimming. You don’t want to join them?”

“You’re not joining them.”

Because today they were the only group swimming so he didn’t need to stay to keep the ratio. Instead the swim instructor could cover it, while he got a well deserved break. “I’ve got to do a couple things in the cabin.”

“Can I just go with you then?”

Virgil opened his mouth to come up with an excuse as to why he couldn’t, but Logan was already standing. 

“I need to use the bathroom.”

Virgil held back a groan. 

“Shall we head back?” Virgil asked when Logan was done. 

Logan shook his head, “You want peace and quiet right? Well so do I. Can we make a deal?”

“...A deal?”

“I go back to the Cabin with you and we both ignore everyone else. I read and you nap.”

Virgil would lie if he said he didn’t consider the idea. But ultimately he shook his head, “It’s too soon for me to lose this job. So we can head back to the lake and just chill on the beach.”

_ “Fine _ .”

“Why don't you want to participate with anyone?” Virgil asked as they walked. 

“Because I don’t want to be here.”

Virgil had too much in common with this kid, “Well at least you can make the best of it? Um... what kind of things do you like  _ besides _ reading?”

“I dunno. But why do you care anyway? It’s not like you wanna be here.”

Virgil gave a grimace, because I’m paid to. “I never said I don’t want to be here. I’ve... I’ve just never been a counselor before so I’m kind of nervous.”

The fourth grader didn’t look convinced. 

~~~~

“Alright wizards,” Virgil started to get the campers’ attention. “We have officially received our orders for what cabin we are working with for capture the flag. We will be paired with the Queens, and Princes. So get your stuff we are headed to the Prince Cabin for a strategy meeting.”

“Why can’t they come here?” Dee complained. 

“Their Cabin looks the biggest,” Patton answered before he raised his hand. “Are we gonna have to be against the big kids too?”

“Middle schoolers, yes. High schoolers no.” Virgil replied. “The high schoolers are doing something else.”

“Are you allowed to be our high schooler?”

“Technically I graduated high school, but no. I’m just supposed to stand around and make sure none of you do anything ridiculous.”

“What do you mean by ridiculous?” Remus asked. 

“If you have to ask...”

“Fine.”

“So, can we go to this meeting now?”

Given the meeting of the three cabins. Thomas and Jon had organized everyone behind their cabin in a bit of open grass. Virgil motioned for his campers to join the older boys sitting on the grass as the Queens arrived and sat down beside them. 

“Alright first part of our strategy is this,” Valerie started. “To win!”

The girls gave a cheer in response while Virgil gave her a confused look. 

“There is an actual strategy though,” Thomas tossed in. “The gist is we want to have the biggest and smallest kids guarding the flag. The bigger ones can hunt down others and smaller kids can hide and pop out. Then we want our fastest runners going for the other two teams. And if you’re small and fast you are going to play hot potato with a flag once we’ve got it. Everyone else is a floater and a decoy. Does that make sense?”

Despite knowing the plan from the start, Virgil felt the urge to say no. 

This would be very  _ interesting _ . 

~~~~

“Are you ready, blue team?” Valerie shouted to the crowd of children who cheered in response. 

“Everyone remember the plan?” Thomas asked. “Then let’s go!”

After the pep talk, Virgil had taken his post upon the junction between the edge of red and blue zones to dispel any argument the kids got into over which side they were on. Elsewhere other counselors were placed about the zone and watching the three teams and making sure no one went too deep into the area’s forest. But while he understood his role during the game, he didn’t particularly understand why Logan had chosen to stand beside him as the game began. 

“You know this is a team game right?” Virgil tried. 

Logan gave a shrug but didn’t respond. 

  
  


The game seemed to be relatively nowhere. The teams seemed to be evenly matched. Virgil gave a yawn as he glanced at his watch, they were only scheduled to be playing for another ten minutes. Would the game end a three-way tie?

“I tagged you!”

“I tagged you! You’re on  _ my _ side now!”

“Shouldn’t you be doing your job?” Logan asked him. 

Virgil resisted the urge to reply and instead he gave a grimace as he moved toward the two arguing campers. Truthfully he hadn’t been watching. “Hey, hey, hey. Look I didn’t see it. So let’s do it this way. Each of you on your own side. No one was tagged at all? Deal?”

They didn’t seem happy as a staring contest began, but Virgil couldn’t bring himself to care. Instead he went back to where he was standing. It wasn’t for a few moments that he realized something was missing. 

“Logan?” He called to no response. 

He blinked looking at the other kids rushing in and out of the trees in confusion. Where had he gone? Had he snuck back to the Cabin?

Virgil felt a surge of frustration rise, had the little pest really just waited till he turned his back to head back to the Cabin? There were only five minutes left for god sakes! Virgil forced himself to take a deep breath. 

This was a camp wide activity. 

In other words, if Logan sneaked off it wouldn’t be his fault or responsibility. So what did he care?

_ “I got it!” _

The sound of a child’s voice caused Virgil to look down to find Logan by his side once more- joy. But this time, Logan’s glasses were askew, he looked as if he had been sweaty, and he painted from running quickly. But despite all of it he smiled proudly as he held up something red for Virgil to see. 

“I got it.”

Virgil nodded in disbelief, and blew his whistle to signal to everyone else. 

~~~~

The campfire which followed the game Virgil had to admit was a fun one. But being on the winning team and getting smores seemed to help. He stuck close to the other counselors grateful to be around people closer to his own age, but he found he kept looking to the campers to find Logan in the middle of bunch of them an embarrassed smile on his face as they undoubtedly praised him. 

The celebration continued back to the Cabin afterwards. 

“How did you get it?” Patton asked excitedly. “I thought you said you weren’t going to play!”

“I wasn’t,” Logan confirmed pulling out his pajamas. “But I stood watching for a while, and just standing there watching the red team I could see where a bunch of them get kept running from. Meaning the flag had to be there.”

“So that entire time you were just analyzing everything?” Virgil asked in surprise. 

Logan shrugged, “What else was I supposed to do? I was bored.”

  
  


It was the sound of the Cabin door opening which made Virgil frown. He gave a sigh and set down his phone and climbed out of his bed hoping whomever was up had just ventured to the bathroom. 

He neared the Cabin door when the sound of humming met his ears. And upon opening it, he found Logan sitting on the steps humming to himself. 

“Can’t sleep?” Virgil asked him, sitting down. 

Logan’s humming ceased as he gave a shrug, “I don’t know.”

“Something wrong?”

“I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have joined the game.”

“Why not?”

Logan paused his gaze falling to his lap as he lightly kicked his legs. “Because I’m not supposed to enjoy it here. I don’t want to be here... I was supposed to be at a music camp.”

“You play an instrument?” Virgil asked. 

“Uhuh, violin... But I’m not allowed to go back to music camp.”

“I’m sure your mom just wanted you to do something different for the summer,” Virgil tried but Logan shook his head. 

“ _ The camp _ said I can’t come back after last summer,” Logan admitted as he kept his gaze fixed to the ground. “I-I got mad at someone so I took his trumpet and threw it. He deserved it too. He kept saying things about my mom, so I wanted to throw it  _ at him, _ but he moved... And the trumpet went through a window.”

“Wow,” was all Virgil could muster in response. 

Logan nodded, “Then they said I can’t come back. So mom sent me here.”

“Just because you didn’t plan to be here doesn't mean you can’t make the best of it,” Virgil said after a pause. “I don’t think it’s a secret that I didn’t plan this for my summer either. But I’m going to try my best and have fun when I can. Sure I get frustrated at things and people, but I really enjoyed the campfire earlier... so if I can try, will you?”

Logan looked up at him in surprise but finally he nodded, “Okay.”

Virgil gave a slight smile, “Good. Now head back to bed.”

“ _ Fine _ . Night Virgil.”

“Night Logan.”


	3. Three

** Three **

“Dante if you do not get in your f-” Virgil took a deep breath. “Just go to bed.”

The boy finally did as he was told as he climbed in his bunk, but that didn’t mean the attitude had stopped. “That’s not how to speak to your favorite camper.”

“I don’t have favorites, but if I did it wouldn’t be you.”

Virgil had a clear favorite: Patton.

The kid was so sweet and adorable that he almost made Virgil forget how much he hated kids. Almost. 

“Tada!”

Virgil looked up from where he had been glancing at his phone to see Patton holding up a painting with a smile. “It’s you dressed as a wizard!”

Virgil gave a chuckle as he nodded, “What the obsession all of you have with making me during art?”

“It annoys you,” Remus called over from his seat. 

“No it’s because you’re  _ cool _ ,” Patton corrected in a matter of fact tone. 

“Oh, um thank you.” With that Patton moved to walk back to his seat but Virgil frowned, “How did you get that much paint on your clothes?”

“More than the paper it looks like,” Logan tossed in. 

Virgil gave a sigh, he’d have to leave the rest at the next activity and bring Patton to change. 

  
  


“Patton?”

“Hm?”

“Why do you have more stuffed animals then clothes?”

“Because I need them.”

Virgil paused looking at the few shirts the boy had brought, “Okay I guess, laundry is gonna have to be done a lot for you.”

~~~~

Not only did Patton have a lot of stuffed animals, he seemed to have at least one within his general vicinity at all times save when he went to the bathroom. 

Virgil supposed it was supposed to be a kid thing or whatever, but he most certainly was not a fan of the one which seemed to be Patton’s favorite to drag around. 

It was your average stuffed doll, with button eyes, but something about those eyes only unnerved him. Despite not having pupils, emotion, or literally anything they always seemed to be watching him, and the stupid smile she had almost made her look smug. 

When Virgil dropped a bunch of stuff? She was watching. When he was being an absolute fool? She was watching. When he was just trying to mind his own damn business? 

_ The doll was fucking watching.  _

Virgil  _ really  _ hated that thing. 

“Virgil can you hold Ginger while I swim if you’re not getting in the water?”

Ginger. So that was the devil’s name. 

“Fine,” he nodded, taking the toy. With that Patton hurried off to join Logan who was waiting for him by the lake. It wasn’t fair, Logan finally starts participating and leaving him alone, and now he was stuck with “Ginger”.

Virgil paused looking into those red button eyes before he set the doll beside him. “...I am losing my mind.”

“You say that a lot,” Thomas’ voice commented. 

Virgil looked up to the other counselor who was carrying a box of something, before he heldup Ginger, “Look at this doll and tell me it’s not trying to murder me.”

Thomas paused considering Ginger before he shrugged, “I can’t read it’s thoughts.”

“Then what good are you?”

“Wow, I was just coming over to tell you that tonight we’re having another unofficial counselor night. But I guess you’re not interested.”

“I deeply apologize,” Virgil told him quickly. A counselor night would do him so good. Just a bunch of the other counselors hanging out and chilling while kids slept. It sounded perfect. “I’ll be there.”

“See you tonight then.”

Virgil had been looking forward to counselor night. A lot. A lot a lot. But of course, like everything else, the boys had other plans for his evening. 

“A fight?” Virgil asked in disbelief as he held the two apart. “Are you all stupid?”

Dee didn’t seem bothered at all by the scratch Roman had given him, but Roman was still fuming. “Don’t say that about my brother!”

Remus meanwhile was watching, entertained from his bunk, “I thought it was funny.”

“Fighting’s not nice,” Patton put in grabbing Roman by the hand. “And I’m sure Dee didn’t mean it! But you can’t hit him Ro! And Dee you can’t be mean! Now say sorry.”

The two each gave a reluctant “sorry”, and Virgil silently wished Patton could take his job over for him. But unfortunately, protocols were protocols. 

“Alright we’re heading down to the Head’s cabin you two,” Virgil informed them before he held in a curse at the following thought. “Actually  _ all  _ of you need to come for me to keep ratio.”

Logan gave a groan, “I didn’t do anything. Why can’t I stay?”

“If we’re going to talk to the Head Counselor, then I need to look like I’m doing my job properly.”

“We can’t let Virgil get fired for something they did!” Patton encouraged. 

Logan didn’t seem convinced but he headed out the cabin with them anyway. 

“Look at the stars Logan! Oh and you gotta make a wish!”

“You wish on shooting stars,” Dee corrected, but Patton shook his head. 

“Every star is a collection of everyone’s wishes. But to know which wishes to grant first you have to wish on them all again, and again, again. That’s how they know your wish will come true!”

“Stars are just gas in space,” Logan said with an eye roll. 

“Like farts in space?” Remus asked him. 

“Stars are wishes,” Patton cut in firmly. “That’s what Leanna always tells me. And I believe it.”

“I wish that Dee goes away,” Roman muttered. 

“And I wish that you’d eat-”

“I wish that you’d all shut up,” Virgil cut in. “This isn’t a fun-looking-at-the-stars-walk. This is I’m-supposed-to-be-having-fun-right-now-but-I’m-stuck-here one!”

“Are we not fun?” Patton asked him worriedly. 

Virgil found himself coming to hate those big eyes. He gave a sigh and looked away from the child’s face as they approached their destination, “Not when you guys get in fights.”

~~~~

The sound of crying drew Virgil from his bed. He bit his tongue trying not to curse out children for needing him the instant he got comfortable, and headed into the main room. 

He was greeted with the sight of Patton crying as he held a stuffed turtle missing a leg. Beside him Remus was tossing the toy’s detached leg against the wall and catching it like a type of game. Too bad it wasn’t Ginger.

“What?” Was all Virgil asked. 

“Remus ripped the turtle’s leg off,” Logan answered, moving to try and comfort Patton. 

“Accidentally!” Remus corrected. “But it did come off easy.”

Virgil gave a sigh, “Remus, go to bed.  _ Now _ . Patton I think I have some duct tape. Do you want me to tape it until someone can sew it?”

The boy gave a nod and followed Virgil into his room. Now the issue was if Virgil could remember where he had put the tape. He knew he had some. It had been sitting out since day one of camp since he had used it to tape up the kids’ signs to their beds. He had set it out to finally bring it back because staring at it had annoyed him, so where the hell did it go?

“Does this one have a name?” Virgil asked awkwardly as he bent to look under his bed. 

Behind him Patton gave a sniffle, “This is Sheila Shells the second.”

Virgil succeeded in grabbing the stupid roll of tape and climbed back out and sat on the floor. “Second? There’s another Sheila Shells?”

Patton nodded and sat down beside him, “The other Sheila is older so I didn’t want to bring her. I thought she could get ripped...”

Virgil gave an awkward cough as he took the stuffed turtle and laid it in his lap. “How many stuffed animals do you have?” 

Patton said nothing until Virgil had ripped off a piece of tape and had begun to tape shut the “wound”. 

“Lots. My parents get me one every time they leave for a business trip... I have a whole closet for them.”

“Wow. So are there more than two Sheilas then?”

Patton gave a small smile, “No, just them. But there’s a whole family of the Shells. All my stuffed animals have their own little family, and they’re all one big family.”

“You have so many that they have family reunions? Ah, all done.”

Patton took the toy and examined her carefully, “Thank you. And yeah, Mommy and Daddy leave a lot. But Leanna always tells me that each one is a protector they leave behind, so it’s okay. And usually I have Leanna too.”

He had heard that time a bunch of times since camp started, and yet he never knew who it was. “Who’s Leanna?” Virgil asked him.

“She’s my nanny,” Patton replied hugging the turtle. “But this summer her mom is sick so she has to go take care of her instead of me... But it’s okay, family is important.” He held up Shelia with a smile for Virgil to see. “And I’ve got my family right here!”

Virgil forced a smile, pretending he couldn’t see the sadness behind the boy’s eyes. “Well um, maybe let’s keep your family further from Remus, okay?”

Patton nodded gratefully, “Okay. I’m gonna go to bed now. Night Virgil! Oh, and Sheila Shells the second says thank you!”

Virgil nodded as the kid moved to leave the room, “You're welcome...”


	4. Four

**Four**

“Everyone line up!”

He paced the row of them looking over every detail before he turned to his brother who did the same. Finally they gave twin nods. 

“We are ready!” Roman declared. 

“Everyone remember your pirate words!” Remus urged. 

“Even if they don’t, the costumes are perfect. We’re gonna win this!”

Virgil had to admit the twins were right. The pirate day costumes were indeed impressive. He had been confused as all hell when the giant trunk had arrived for the boys but apparently the two had written home about needing to win a contest and managed to get a ton of dress up clothes. He wasn’t quite sure why they had some in his size however. But with how good the pirate coat looked on him, he wasn’t exactly going to complain. 

“What’s the prize for winning?” Logan questioned as they headed to activities. 

“A mountain of booty!” Remus cheered. “And I want it all!”

“If we win we have to  _ share _ ,” Patton disagreed. 

“Let’s just get to the obstacle course before we’re late,” Virgil suggested. 

  
  


“Your cabin’s costumes are pretty impressive,” Thomas commented. “You got a pirate’s coat and a plastic telescope and here I am with a cardboard sword. I feel underdressed.”

Virgil gave a chuckle as Thomas joined him in watching the kids go. “The twins’ parents apparently sent all this stuff.”

“Wow, th-”

“Virgil!”

Virgil grimaced as Dee stormed over to him looking mad. “Problem?”

“Remus broke my dress!” He shouted turning around for Virgil to see the back of it. The zipper had been broken off leaving it open. “How am I supposed to hide my dagger in the dress if I can’t wear it? That’s the whole reason I  _ wanted _ the dress!”

Virgil gave a sigh, “Do you want to go change? Or maybe we can duct tape you in it?”

“You have a dagger in there?” Thomas asked in surprise. 

Dee gave him a smile and bent down under the dress’ ruffles to where he had tied a plastic knife to his leg and drew it. “A pirate is always battle ready!”

Virgil shook his head, “So are you changing or...?”

“...Duct tape is fine.”

“No he’s changing,” Remus decided coming over. 

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are!”

“No I’m not!”

“Yes you are! The dress was  _ my _ idea! That’s why I asked  _ my _ mom to send it!”

“You said I could take whatever I wanted!”

“It’s mine!”

“How about no one wears it?” Virgil cut in. 

“But then how do we hide our weapons?” Remus asked with a frown. 

“You don’t,” Thomas tried. “A true pirate doesn't need to be sneaky right? Not to mention you’re wizards. Wizards don’t hide their wands, right?”

Somehow that bullshit convinced them, and Virgil had zero clue how. “You’re a master at this,” Virgil admired as the boys walked away. 

“Happy to help.”

“Teach me more.”

Thomas gave a slight laugh, “What do I get in return?”

“My intact sanity.”

Upon the end of the obstacle course they returned to the cabin for a break and so Dee could change. And once the kid had and activities resumed, Virgil had thought that would be the end of it. 

But of course it could never be that simple. It seemed now that Remus couldn't wear the dress, his next tactic was to pull bugs out of nowhere and place them on people’s things to make them freak out as some odd sort of revenge. Patton had already cried twice, Dee had thrown one back at Remus starting a fight, while Logan had tried to stick to Virgil to get away from all of it but it turns out Virgil wasn’t immune to this. 

Virgil set down his sandwich with a glare to his camper, “Messing with someone’s lunch is going too far.”

“What?” Remus asked innocently. “You don’t like worms in your chicken salad?”

“You’ve run out of chances,” Virgil told him standing to get himself more food. “We’re talking to the Head counselor later today after everything. Because I’m not jeopardizing our chances at winning as a Cabin because of you.”

Remus only smiled back in return. 

Virgil forced himself to take a deep breath as he walked away. They had two more activities and then they would find out the winner. He just needed to hold on for about three hours. So, why did that feel so long?

~~~~

The first of the two activities was a treasure hunt. 

Each group had been led into the woods by a Park Ranger (not deep into the woods though). And they’d have to find their “treasure”. Said treasure was something deliberately placed but it could be anything from a pinecone to a stray baseball which had been left there. They’d have fifteen minutes to bring whatever the object was to the Ranger and get it checked. Whatever Cabins who succeeded would get additional points to their final score. And the less time you used, the more points you got. 

Ranger What’s-His-Name led them to a small clearing and told them to go. The boys rushed off at once, each determined to find something- whatever the something was. Virgil let them be for a minute or so before he started making rounds to check on how each was doing. 

Dee and Patton had teamed up to flip over some rocks. Remus was lying on the ground so he could see things that way- Virgil chose not to question it- while Logan had taken the approach of slow watching and analyzing everything. And Roman... Roman?

Virgil looked around him in confusion, “Roman?” He called but only succeeded in getting the other boys’ attention. “Roman? Roman!”

“Up here!” A small voice called. 

Virgil looked around confused until he heard the rustling of a tree. He hurried closer to see the boy had climbed up it. 

“Roman, come down,” Virgil ordered worriedly. 

“I’m fine!” He said moving away from the trunk of the tree onto some branches- causing Virgil to cringe in fear with every movement. “I can see everything from here.”

“Now Roman.”

“No!”

“ _ Roman _ !”

“I see it!” Roman shouted, ignoring him as he pointed past Viegil. “That’s gotta be our treasure!”

“Great now come down!”

The boy didn’t seem to have heard him as he began to shout at his brother to check something. He was so engrossed in pointing and shouting that he lost his footing. 

Virgil’s heart jumped into his throat as he instinctively moved closer and held out his arms. And he was rewarded with the crashing of a child into him knocking them both to the ground. 

Virgil gave a groan as he sat up and looked to Roman on top of him, “You okay?” 

The boy gave a shaken nod and climbed off. Virgil took another deep breath to calm himself as the Ranger held out a hand to him. Virgil accepted it and was pulled to his unsteady feet. 

“Is this the treasure?” Remus asked, holding a shell. 

Virgil wanted to tell him that that's not exactly what he should be focused on when his brother nearly broke a bone, but the Ranger gave a surprised nod. 

“Yeah... it is.”

~~~~

Somehow they had won Pirate Day. Earning s’mores for the whole cabin. And  _ just their _ cabin. But before they could celebrate too much, Virgil had taken the trek to the Head Counselor’s office where Remus had been forced to apologize, and Roman had been banned from climbing trees. 

“They’re attention seekers,” Head Counselor Delilah told him when the boys had stepped out. “This isn’t the first time you brought them both to me, remember? Remus breaking other people’s things? And Roman pushing his limits in swim and nearly-”

“Nearly drowning himself?” Virgil recalled. “Gave me a heart attack on day three.”

She nodded, “Today probably felt like the perfect day to the two of them. Perfect chance to grab attention as the stars of the cabin. So when focus wasn’t on them, they stole attention. Make sense?”

Virgil nodded once, “Yeah, it does.”

  
  


As celebrations resumed and afternoon became dinner, which gave way to s’mores, Virgil was still thinking on her words. Attention seeking. It both made sense and didn’t. It made sense that they wanted it, but at the same time it didn’t make sense that they didn’t have it. Their parents were famous movie stars who were always in the news. Virgil may not have followed celebrity news, but even so every time he had seen one of the boy’s parents on the cover of a magazine the boy’s smiling faces were there too. But apparently that was just how it  _ seemed _ . 

“I’m sorry.” Roman apologized when he walked in Virgil’s room later. “For the tree...”

Virgil gave him a nod, “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

Roman shifted awkwardly for a moment before he spoke again, “Remus is sorry too.”

“Thank you, Roman.”

Roman left quickly then, and moments later Dee stood in his place a small smile on his face. “Do you know why both of them go here?”

“That’s not really my business,” Virgil replied slowly. “Or yours.”

Dee glanced out the door before he shut it and spoke again, “They went to a red carpet with their parents. And Remus started cursing and fighting Roman until he cried in front of  _ everyone _ . So their parents sent them away to avoid any more bad press.”

Virgil’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he tried to think of a response. 

“Their parents only care about them when a camera is around,” Dee continued. “They don’t get their parents’ attention if there’s not, unless they act crazy.”

“That’s- that’s none of your business,” Virgil said finally. But he couldn’t help but wonder if there was truth to the words. 

Dee gave an innocent smile, “I make lots of things my business.”

“Go get ready for bed Dee.”

“What? You don’t want to know what I know about you?”

“Now.”

“Fine,” he shrugged. “Let me know if you change your mind,  _ Mr. Virgil.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next is Dee's chapter and then we get on with the dramaaaaaa


	5. Five

**Five**

Dee was one hundred percent the child which got on Virgil’s nerves the most. 

At first it had simply just been because he liked to challenge the small amount of authority Virgil had. But then apparently had gotten too boring for him. 

“How come you never told your parents you have a tattoo?”

Virgil whirled around quickly to see Dante casually standing in his doorway. He glanced down at his clothed body in confusion. “How do you know that?”

The kid gave a mischievous smile in return before he began to leave the room. “Is it a bad looking spider or a good one?”

“ _ Get out.” _

“Yes, Mister Virgil Sir!”

Despite that having been the end of that interaction it had certainly gotten under Virgil’s skin. Only the male counselors knew about Virgil’s tattoo on account of sharing a cabin back during training. And less than half of them knew that Virgil had gotten it without telling his parents- and that his mother would flip if she knew. But none of them would be the type to tell anyone- or well at least not campers. 

It didn’t make sense. 

Why did Dee know?

And worst part of all of this, was that Dee knew he had rattled Virgil. Virgil could tell in the boy’s smiles and glances he sent him all day. And  _ damn _ did it piss him off. 

“Something wrong Spiderling?” Dee asked him on the walk to swim. 

Virgil stopped mid stride in shock, “ _ What _ did you just call me?”

“Spiderling,” he repeated with the false innocent smile. “It’s what your mom calls you, right? Oh! Is  _ that  _ why you have a spider tattoo? Because of your mom? That’s so  _ cute!” _

Virgil’s mouth opened and closed before he shook his head trying to focus on using his words and not his hands. “ _ You  _ call me Virgil. And  _ only  _ Virgil.”

Dee’s smile didn’t waver, “Yes sir! Virgil Sir!”

  
  


“Hey Thomas?”

“Hm?”

“How do I avoid wanting to kill a nine year old?”

“Get a new job.”

Virgil frowned, “That’s not the advice I was looking for.”

“Fine um...Try yoga?” 

“Forget I asked. But are we doing counselor’s night tonight or tomorrow?”

“I think tonight.”

“Perfect. I’m in need of one.”

~~~~

“I told you not to tell him!”

Virgil blinked refocusing on the world as if he hadn’t zoned out as the kids talked to him. 

“Did you?” Dee was asking. 

Patton’s chubby little face was turning red as he stomped his foot, “You promised not to tell! Why would you?”

“It slipped out I guess?”

“Or maybe he told your secret because you were annoying him all day,” Logan tossed in. 

Patton still looked hurt, but quite frankly Virgil had no interest in whatever was going on. So he simply sat forward in his seat, “We are a cabin and a team, we shouldn’t keep secrets from one another. But if we do, they should be respected alright?”

In turn each of the boys begrudgingly agreed, but only Dee gave him a smirk as he did. Virgil chose not to focus on it, “Let’s just finish getting ready for our hike okay? Everyone got bug spray?”

The hike was supposed to be a simple activity as it always was. The Ranger (who’s name Virgil still did not know and after weeks was too afraid to ask) led them into the trees as he usually did and it wasn’t long that the boys had come up with their own sort of bingo game as they walked. Virgil played with them, though he wasn’t entirely sure of the rules (he doubted the boys knew either) but it was a way to pass the time. But as they continued he couldn't help but notice that Dee had grown quieter. 

He had just been about to ask the boy if he was alright, but Dee moved closer to Roman and whispered something in the boy’s ear. Virgil watched as Roman frowned and whispered back, and then within moments he silenced pouting. And just like that the mood had died. Roman had clammed up which caused Remus to bother him only leading to shouting- and eventual shoving. Logan had been bumped into and he fell backwards nearly banging his head on a tree and Patton was fretting over him worriedly (not exactly helping Virgil’s worries). But amongst all the chaos which had erupted in moments, Virgil couldn’t help but notice the shadow of a smile on Dee’s face. 

He could never guess what that boy was thinking. 

There were many things about Dee which generally confused Virgil, and besides his keeping secrets, and personality, what confused Virgil most was simply who the boy was. This was a camp of rich kids. Their last names carried weight and when other counselors would mention a camper’s parents he could recall a face of a news story, or even if he couldn't someone else could. But there was never anything with Ekans. Logan was the son of a senator, Roman and Remus the sons of actors, Patton had revealed that his father owned some large company, but Dee... Dee just seemed  _ normal _ . Unlike the other boys he didn’t speak about his parents in general, much less what they did for a living. It was almost like he didn’t want to think about his family at all. Virgil knew it wasn’t his place to ask let alone wonder, but the question had come to mind multiple times. 

But given the way Dee whispered things to others and seemed to control situations with his words, Virgil had a sneaking suspicion that he was related to someone in politics. 

~~~~

Virgil wasn’t quite sure what he had done to incur Dee’s wrath, but it seemed now the kid wouldn’t leave him alone. He just appeared revealing details about Virgil’s life to whomever would listen, and Virgil just forced himself to keep his cool and answer the boy’s provoking questions.

“How come you’re not going to your top college?”

Virgil didn’t spare him a glance. “Some of us aren’t rich.”

“How do you get fired from working at a library?” 

Virgil focused on the sketch he was making. “It's not important.”

“How come you only got a C in math?”

Virgil stared down at his plate pushing his food around, “My teacher didn’t curve.”

“Do you ever miss Henry?”

Virgil nearly gagged in the middle of brushing his teeth as he looked down beside him to where Dee was standing casually. 

“Don’t act like you don’t know who I’m talking about,” Dee continued drawing the eyes of the other boys who were readying to leave the bathroom.

Virgil forced himself to stay calm as he rinsed out his mouth, “You ready to go back?”

“So you  _ do _ miss him then?” Dee continued grinning. “I mean he  _ did _ break your heart. Breaking up with you for someone else. Oh, sorry. Are you not over him yet?”

Virgil took a deep breath as he gathered all his things, “I’m not talking to you about this,  _ Dante. _ ” with that said he did a quick headcount and left heading back to the cabin the boys by his side. But apparently Dee hadn’t had enough.

“What about Thomas?”

“What about him?” Virgil asked shortly.

“Is he your rebound? You seem close with him.”

“No. He’s my friend.”

“Are you  _ sure?” _

Virgil stopped in his tracks and tried to force himself not to throttle a child.

“You shouldn’t ask him things like that,” Logan scolded for him.

“But-”

Virgil looked the boy in the eye taking in the kid’s shit eating grin before he spoke, “Why don’t we go back to the cabin,  _ Janus?  _ It’s getting pretty late.” Virgil held back a smile as he watched the boy’s smile drop and his gaze harden, but he didn’t let Dee speak before he continued on his way listening to Roman laugh and Dee trying and failing to explain. 

It was a dick move, on his part, that Virgil knew. According to other counselors the boy had been made fun of because of his name in school so at camp he liked to strictly go by his middle name as if his first didn’t exist. So yes it was a dick move, but in the moment Virgil couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

  
  


The moment the boys were asleep Virgil slipped out of the cabin headed for the bonfire where he knew the other counselors would be. 

“You look like a wreck,” Jon commented.

Virgil gave a sigh, “One of mine just knows things about my life and he bothers me with it.”

“What do you mean?” Thomas asked, passing over a can of soda. 

“He knows I have a tattoo but my parents don't know, he knows I got fired from working at a library-”

“How do you even do that?”

“It's a long story- he knows my mom’s nickname for me, he knows I got a C in math, and he knows the name of my ex boyfriend!”

“Have you considered,” Talyn started slowly. “That your camper is a psychic?” 

Virgil rolled his eyes, “I think he’s just nosy as hell. Now all of you tell me how your lives suck so I can feel better.”

Virgil enjoyed these nights, the talking, laughter, soda and snacks made it easy to. But more importantly he enjoyed what these nights brought, they were the times he was allowed to be himself and not have to worry about kids. Nights like this were a well needed distraction, and he was gonna soak up every moment of it. 

“Uh guys?” Thomas’ voice called after an hour or so. He had walked off to call someone and when he had come back Virgil felt his spirits drop. “I think this is yours, Virgil?”

“What are you doing here?” Virgil asked, standing and looking at Dee. 

The boy gave a shrug, “Getting information.” He paused before his eyes found Talyn’s. “I’m not a psychic but that would be cool.”

Virgil breathed out a few curses, before he grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him away with a few apologies to the other counselor’s as he went. 

“Why did you follow me?” He demanded releasing Dee’s arm. 

“I told you. I was getting information. I like information and I like secrets. When people are comfortable with one group, they say things they wouldn't say to another group.”

“You’ve been following me when I go talk to other counselors to get dirt on me?”

“Yup.”

Virgil rubbed at his eyes as they walked and he shook his head trying to understand why the fuck Dee would want to do this in the first place, but only found himself coming up blank. So finally, he just asked. “Is there a reason you need secrets on everyone?” 

“So people will do what I want,” Dee answered easily. 

“You can’t just go around  _ blackmailing _ everyone.”

“I already have.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s okay. I mean sneaking out of bed to come bother all the counselors? That’s going a bit far. I mean if you have a problem with me that’s fine, don’t mess with everyone else.”

The kid gave him a smirk, “But you can’t report me because none of you were supposed to be there anyway.”

Virgil took a deep breath to keep from shouting at him, “Can you just stop all this?  _ Please _ ? Can we get through the rest of the summer in peace?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“I need the cabin to get along and not be at war with one another. Can you at least tone it down? You don’t need to stir the pot for fun.”

“Hmm... Maybe.”

“I need an actual answer. Maybe won’t-”

“This is a camp for rich kids,” Dee said suddenly as he skipped a bit in his walk. “Do you know what my mom does?”

Virgil gave a sigh, “We were talking about you trying to blackmail everyone.”

Dee turned and gave him a smile, his nearly yellow eyes piercing Virgil- but it was his words which stopped Virgil in his tracks. 

_ “She's an escort.” _

Virgil’s brain short circuited as his mouth opened and closed silently as the boy nodded with a false cheeriness and continued walking, and after a few moments he caught up. “Do- um... you know...?”

“I know what an escort is,” he stated, answering Virgil’s half formed question. “And I know that lots of people don’t like her because of it. Roman and Remus’ mom hate her because my mom is paid by their dad. Logan’s mom pays her too. But I don’t think any of them know.”

“Oh,” was all Virgil could muster in response. 

They walked in silence for a few moments, but as they neared the Cabin the boy stopped walking and spoke again, his gaze fixed on the ground. 

“One of my friend’s dads used to pay her too. But then her mom found out and they got divorced. And now she’s not my friend anymore... so I like to keep secrets about everyone. So when they find out about my mom, as long as I know their secret, they can’t stop being my friend.” He turned back to Virgil and gave another smile. “This way I make sure I’ll always have friends.”

“Dee,” Virgil tried quietly. “If you have to make someone be your friend, then they’ll never be a  _ good _ friend.”

“That’s what my mom says,” the boy said with an eye roll. “But I think having friends- even if I have to force them- is better than having no one.”

Virgil felt the need to hug him, but he refused his instincts in favor of saying, “I’d still be your friend regardless.”

Dee shook his head as he resumed walking, “No you wouldn’t. You don’t even like kids.”

“Yes but-”

“You know the truth and now you’re already treating me differently right?” The nine year old asked in reply. When Virgil didn’t answer Dee opened the door to the Cabin and stepped inside. “I’ll be quiet so everyone can sleep. And you’ll stay quiet because I know your secret too.” The kid sent him a grin that didn’t meet his eyes. “Deal?”

“...Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: shit will go down next chapter (probably)


	6. Six

**SIX**

“Spiderling!” His mom greeted, when he answered. 

Virgil rolled his eyes despite the smile on his face, “Hey mom.”

“How are all the boys?”

“They’re fine. Still completely crazy. Last night I was woken up to hear shouting after Remus tried to crawl up onto the rafters.”

“But is the pay worth it?” Virgil heard his dad shout from the background. 

“It is,” Virgil laughed. “I’ve survived this much so it is.”

“So you all packed?” His mom asked. 

“Yeah, I mean I don’t need much. You’ve got my suit right?”

“I do. I just called to ask what time we should pick you up?”

“Around six should be fine,” Virgil answered. “After that they’re someone else’s problem.”

_ Someone else’s problem.  _

The words were like words from an angel. 

Tonight Virgil would leave for the weekend to head to his cousin’s wedding and get a break from camp. He just needed to get through today. Today and then three days of freedom. 

_ Three full days. _

They would be bliss, if only he could get through today. 

~~~~

“Alright everyone have sunscreen? Bug spray? Water?” 

“We’ve got everything already! Let’s just go!” Remus complained. 

“We’re gonna be out for a while,” Virgil explained. “We aren’t-”

“You do this every time we go hiking,” Roman said. “We know the drill.”

Virgil gave a sigh as he led the way out the cabin. “Then I trust I don’t need to tell you both yet again  _ not _ to climb trees again?”

“Fine,” they chorused. 

“Virgil! I had an idea,” Patton started, coming to walk beside him. “Since we have all the empty bunks, we should make a huge fort or something! And then we could watch movies on your laptop!”

“We’re not supposed to use Virgil’s laptop,” Logan put in. 

Virgil opened his mouth to ask why they even knew he had a laptop (when he had made sure to use it when they weren’t around so he wouldn’t have to have this discussion) but he closed his mouth upon realizing Dee would be the likely answer. So instead he said, “I’m actually leaving tonight, so you’ll be with the Princes I think.”

“What?” Patton asked in surprise. “Ginger will miss you!”

Virgil did his best not to cringe as Patton shoved the doll in his face. “My cousin’s getting married. I’m heading to the wedding. I’ll be back Monday.”

“Whatever will we do without you?” Dee fake gasped. 

“Where’s the wedding?” Roman asked. 

“I honestly don’t know,” Virgil said. 

“Is it a big one?”

“I don’t know. I’m just showing up because I’m expected to. I barely get along with her.”

“You get to eat cake at least,” Logan tried. “And hopefully the wedding food is better than the average stuff.”

Virgil only gave a nod silently wondering how many weddings the kid had been to. Well he was kind of adorable, he may have been his family’s go to ring bearer. 

_ Kind of adorable? _

His parents couldn’t come fast enough this fucking camp was corrupting him. 

  
  


“Ranger Marcel! Did you find any cool bugs this time?” Remus asked as they approached, and Virgil was thankful he did. 

_ Marcel _ . The Ranger  _ finally _ had a fucking name. Now if only Virgil could remember it this time. 

“I haven’t found anything, sorry,” the man replied. “But I’ve got permission to go in a bit deeper into the woods with you guys today. So stick by me since it’s a different trail.”

“That means more walking,” Dee frowned. 

“There’s a really nice view though,” the Ranger tried. “So are you guys ready to go?”

As the physical hiking began Virgil found himself drifting to the back of the group. Ranger Marcel has taken the lead as opposed to letting the boys follow the trail and calling to them to slow down as usual. Beside him the boys kept to his side talking to him about whatever, leaving Virgil to room to breathe. He had simply been enjoying time to think to himself when his phone vibrated. Upon checking it he saw a text from Thomas. 

_ Delia says that Jon and I can take the wizards in the downtime right before dinner so you can head out. It will be harder to switch during dinner cuz we gotta steal an extra counselor from the Goblins too _

Virgil paused before he replied,  _ Sounds good. Also it’s been weeks and I still dunno. Why does she go by both Delia and Delilah? _

Thomas’ response came quickly.  _ I’ve worked here for years and I still have zero clue.  _

Virgil rolled his eyes, this wasn’t the time to be wondering why the head counselor was the way she was, instead he should be enjoying the fact that he would have time for a nap in between swapping the boys over and his parents' arrival. 

_ A nap.  _

It’s like this weekend was going to reward him for dealing with all the bullshit he had so far, and Virgil wouldn’t dare complain about that. He looked ahead to the boys who were playing some sort of game under the Ranger’s supervision, so he was free to scroll through things on his phone. Unfortunately his endless scrolling was cut short when he noticed his lack of signal. He gave a frown as he pocketed his phone. 

They’d been walking for a while, how deep in these woods were they going? Usually these walks were ten-fifteen minutes tops before they’d reach a spot to hang out. They’d been going far longer than that. Logan seemed to share Virgil’s thoughts. 

“Are you lost?” Logan asked Marcel. “We lost the trail markers a while ago.”

_ Had they? _

“I know where I’m going,” Marcel promised. “We’re almost there.”

Logan didn’t seem convinced but a few minutes of walking later they reached a small clearing in the trees with a ring of stumps set up to sit at. It didn’t seem like much, it was hardly worth the walk. 

“Whoa! Look at this guys!” Roman shouted. The boy was on the opposite side of the small clearing pointing at something, and Virgil moved to join him. And as he approached he understood. Standing there, looking back the way they had come breaks in the trees were visible giving a beautiful view of the landscape around and below them. “I can see the cabin!”

Virgil followed his gaze to the small ring of cabins which were barely visible at this distance. 

“You’re right, it's a nice view,” Virgil said, turning to Marcel, but the Ranger was frowning, listening to his walkie talkie. “Everything okay?”

He nodded once despite his frown, “Yeah, a kid’s lost. I gotta go help. Um, can you guys just sit tight for like ten minutes? And then if someone asks...”

“You never left us alone,” Virgil nodded. “We’ll be fine. Go.”

He gave a sigh of relief as he headed into the trees, “I’ll be right back!”

“I thought Rangers aren't allowed to leave us by ourselves,” Logan commented as he left. 

“It’s an emergency,” Virgil replied. “So we sit tight here for a little while and maybe we play a game?”

“What are we playing?” Patton asked eagerly. 

“Up to you all.”

“This is a perfect area for Hide and Seek Extreme!” Remus declared. 

Virgil didn’t dare ask what made the game extreme, but rather he just agreed to play. 

  
  


After a few rounds it turned out that Virgil still didn’t know what was “extreme” about it, but he was more concerned with the time. 

“When’s he coming back?” Dee whined. 

Virgil glanced at his phone, it had been at least twenty minutes since Marcel had left. Technically they should be at their next activity in the next ten.

“Can you call him?” Logan asked. “Or just the camp itself?”

Virgil shook his head, “I don’t have a signal.”

“I need to use the bathroom,” Patton put in. “I don’t wanna go out here.”

Virgil looked the tired and squirming boys over before he took a deep breath. “We’re gonna try to go down a bit on our own. Just enough that my phone can get a signal, alright?”

“We should go the way towards the camp that we can see and not the way Ranger Marcel took us,” Logan advised. 

“Agreed. Let’s go.”

Virgil kept glancing between his phone, the boys, and trying not to fall, as they went on. But as they walked his signal didn’t seem to want to reconnect. 

“There’s no big animals out here right?” Patton asked worriedly. “Like bears?”

“There’s not,” Virgil assured. 

“Well there’s probably  _ some _ ,” Dee put in and Virgil knew the boy was doing his best not to smile. “Right Logan?”

“There could be,” Logan nodded. “But they probably stay away from the camp itself and people.”

“We’ll be fine,” Virgil promised Patton before the boy’s worries could grow further, because quite frankly they mirrored his own. He was doing his best not to worry or think about it, but this wasn’t normal. None of it. The rangers usually had super strict rules including not to go to certain places and not to leave people alone. It just didn’t make sense that both had happened at once. 

Something was wrong. But Virgil couldn’t put his finger on what. 

~~~~

“The camp doesn’t look like it’s getting closer,” Remus whined. 

Virgil had to agree. They’d been walking down for sometime but it didn’t seem like anything had changed. He knew at least that they weren’t going in a circle. That was his only consolation. 

“Your phone still doesn’t have a signal?” Roman asked. 

“I  _ really _ need to  _ go _ ,” Patton complained. 

“I still have no signal. And you’re gonna have to go out here, Patt,” Virgil said. “It looks like it’s gonna be awhile before we get back.”

Patton made a noise of frustration and disapproval in return. 

“I need to go too,” Dee put in. “I’ll go with you.”

There was a pause before all the boys seemed to decide to move just out of sight behind trees (Patton after shoving Ginger into Virgil’s arms). Virgil then was forced to stand and wait. He couldn’t see the boys from this spot, but he could hear each of their chatter and that was good enough. 

He pulled his phone from his pocket once more and cursed at the lack of signal. Had they really gone so far out of range? His phone had worked on the way up until they had hit a point. But where had that point been? He could hope it was close. 

He could hear laughter which sounded suspiciously like Roman’s before footsteps and ruffling leaves moved in his direction. He paused listening for the other boys who also seemed to be walking in this direction. Good. The sooner they could keep moving. 

When the first set of footsteps grew closer Virgil’s eyes widened in surprise. They sounded like an adults’, had someone finally found them?

He leaned up off his tree and turned to give a relieved smile at Marcel’s face. 

“I told you to stay put,” The Ranger said with a glare. 

“You also said you’d be gone for ten minutes,” Virgil replied. 

Marcel didn’t respond as he glanced around. Assuming he had been searching for the boys Virgil opened his mouth to answer the unspoken question- when instead the ranger pulled a gun. 

Any words died on Virgil’s tongue. His heart rate had spiked and his breathing was labored as he took an involuntary step back. Marcel moved forward. 

Virgil wanted to open his mouth to try to talk to him to get Marcel to put it away, but no words would come out. And all Virgil could do was stare and silently hope the boys would stay further away. 

“Marcel?” He managed finally. His voice was shaky and quiet. 

“Don’t say a thing,” the Ranger hissed. “You were supposed to stay  _ put _ . 

“I’m sorry. I-”

_ “Shut up!” _

Time was passing slowly. So slowly and yet it seemed to be happening all at once. Virgil’s brain wasn't functioning. He could see visually that Marcel was still talking, but he couldn’t hear anything other than his heart and his breathing. His thoughts were a jumble of halves and junk, unable to join to become the train they were supposed to be. 

He was completely and utterly frozen. 

Eyes trained one the gun aimed at his chest. 

It wasn’t until that it had lowered that Virgil’s hearing returned. He could hear shouting of harsh voices, and the screams and cries of the boys but he didn’t even have time to look toward it before Marcel had raised the gun over his head and was bringing it down. 

Virgil could only hear one word clearly as it did,  _ “Sorry.”  _

Then everything was black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tada! welcome to the insanity


	7. Seven

**Seven**

He came to slowly.

The first which made itself known was the dull ache in his head. He was surrounded by darkness, and muffled sounds. He closed his eyes tightly trying to gain some sense of what was happening, and it was then the dam holding his memories burst. 

His eyes opened and he shot up into a sitting position flinging what was on his head off. His heart was banging in his chest and his breaths quick. 

He was alone. 

That was the first thing which properly registered. The second thing was that it was dark out. Thankfully he had enough light to see, but just barely. But it didn’t change the fact that aside from the trees and whatever animals they held- Virgil was completely alone. Hesitantly he stood to his feet and looked back down to where he had been laying to find disturbed leaves and his sweatshirt. He grabbed it hurriedly and put it in on and he took a deep breath attempting to relish in whatever small comfort it brought, when something caught his eye-  _ his phone _ . 

He snatched it up and his cold fingers numbly fiddled with the device only to hesitate when he saw the time. 7:32.  _ What had happened to this morning? _

Virgil didn’t want to think about it, instead he choose to focus on the signal- or rather the  _ lack _ of one. 

Last he knew he had been  _ craving _ a signal and for someone to come to his aid. And then when someone had come, it was clear it wasn’t to benefit him.  _ Christ _ , that had really happened hadn’t it? 

Virgil gave a swallow as he glanced about him once more- this time noting something different than before. The lack of the camp. 

When the ranger had returned- gun in hand- Virgil had been heading down toward where he could see the camp.  _ So where was it now? _ Had the ranger  _ moved _ him? Why? More than that, why hadn’t the man just shot Virgil when he had the chance? Why knock him out and abandon him?

But then again Virgil wasn’t quite sure he wanted the answer. 

He should just be happy he was alive. 

Because if he wanted Ranger Marcel could have easily killed him and the- Virgil’s mind faltered as he looked around for the umpteenth time. “Boys?” He called softly. 

His voice had been quiet, and yet it seemed to carry within the empty woods. Virgil gave a hard swallow and took a step a few steps forward only for something to squish under his foot. He stepped back and looked down and bit his tongue before he reached down to pick up Ginger. 

The only remnants of the fact that he even been with those boys at all. 

_ Patton’s creepy fucking doll.  _

It was almost laughable. 

Hell this whole summer was. 

A job he reluctantly did for the money. Kids he didn’t want to deal with. People he didn’t want to care about. He had spent all fucking day just wanting to be picked up by his parents and leave this fucking camp and it’s responsibilities. 

And now all he wanted was to be with those very people instead of alone. 

Virgil blinked back his tears and took a shuddering breath. He needed to find his way back. He needed to go somewhere-  _ anywhere _ that wasn’t this spot. He needed to find his way back. 

And find the boys on the way. 

~~~~

“Hello, everyone and welcome back. My name is Leanne Washington, and we are coming to you live from Camp Storytime where it has been thirty hours since the missing children were seen last. It was then that the sons of people like the Regis’ and Senator Patricia Ackroyd we’re kidnapped. The five boys, a ranger, and a counselor had been going for a hike in the woods and then never returned. And later upon investigation, a ransom note was found in the counselor’s- Virgil Storm’s- bedroom. At this point no one has been able to contact Storm to even attempt to meet his expensive demands. But, we have just been told that we will be allowed the opportunity to speak with the teenagers parents as well as the parents of the victims shortly. Until then, back to you in the studio Ben.”

When the camera stopped rolling the reporter and her crew immediately followed their directions to the camp office to set up in the next location, but the moment they stepped inside the building shouting enveloped them. 

“What the fuck Daniela, are you seriously trying to blame this on me?” Michael Regis shouted at his wife. 

“It was your idea to send them here in the first place!” She yelled back. “I wanted to keep them home all summer!”

“We needed them out of the media!”

“And look where we fucking are now!”

“Shouldn’t the blame fall with the one who kidnapped them?” Ms. Charlotte Ekans interrupted. 

“No one asked for the  _ whore’s _ opinion,” Daniela Regis snapped. 

The other woman raised an eyebrow, “Usually your husband quite likes what I can do with this mouth.”

The movie star took a few steps forward but the blonde woman didn’t even flinch. “I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Stay the  _ fuck _ away from my family.”

“Arguing like this won’t get us anywhere,” Senator Ackroyd cut in. “What we really need is to focus on is why  _ some of us  _ aren’t interested in paying their share of the money.”

It was then attention shifted to the final two in this room. A man and woman each dressed perfectly in their expensive suits. The woman was sitting on her chair tapping away at her laptop, while the man stood talking on the phone in a low voice. But as attention shifted the woman’s eyes raised. 

“I never said I  _ wouldn’t _ pay for my son’s life. I said I wouldn’t pay a cent  _ until _ I know for sure Patton will be returned unharmed,” Julia Hart said plainly. “At this point no one can contact the Storm boy, so who are we even paying to?”

“It said each of us is to transfer the money to a wired account,” Michael Regis told her. “And you’re the last one to agree so we can do this and  _ get our kids back _ .”

“There’s too many holes in that. It's too risky.”

“And leaving them out there isn’t?” He yelled back. “It’s been over thirty fucking hours! Have you been listening at _all_ to what the police have been saying?”

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t yell at my wife,” Ian Hart said coldly. 

“Storm is a child himself, this couldn’t have been this well planned through. There’s more going on here,” Julia Hart insisted. “I won’t risk my son’s life until I have more details.”

“Are our children expendable then?” Ms. Charlotte Ekans asked her. “Is my son worth less then?”

“That wasn’t even close to what I was saying. Do try to use your brain.”

“I’ve had enough of this,” Daniela Regis huffed. “Where’s the kidnapper’s parents? They’re here right?”

“I’m afraid you’re not allowed to speak with them,” a man in a cop uniform stated coming forward from where he had shrunk back against the wall at the arguing. 

“The hell I'm not.” The cop barely had time to protest before the woman’s heels were storming down the shirt hall. She paused at the end looking at a door and considering before she slammed it open.  _ “Where are my sons?” _

The other parents (and the reporter for good measure) were following after her in an instant. 

Inside that small room- a small bedroom which must’ve been for the Camp’s Head or Director- sat the couple on the bed. But at the sudden commotion the woman burst into tears shouting how her son wouldn’t do something like this, but her husband beside her just hung his head toward the floor and hadn’t moved. 

“I told you to keep them out of here!” A detective in the room shouted. 

“How?” Yelled back the cop. 

Any other words said at all were seemingly lost in the shouting chaos which followed, so it was then that the reporter stepped out to once again focus on the location of the next shot. She hadn’t even spoken yet, and it seemed she got all she was asking for and more. 

  
  


“Welcome back everyone. Leanne Washington here at Camp Storytime with another update. Before the break you just heard our interviews with the parents of the victims who are still desperately pleading for the sons safe return- despite not all agreeing to pay the ransom. Also we spoke to the kidnapper’s- Virgil Storm’s- parents who are asserting their son’s innocence. Now we’re going to speak to the last person to have contact with Storm, another counselor here at the camp,” she continued moving slightly and the camera followed her to where a teen stood. “Thomas Sanders was it? I’m told you got close to Virgil Storm this summer didn’t you?”

“Um, yeah,” Thomas replied awkwardly. “Our dads work together and he’s new this year so I thought I'd... be his friend.”

The reporter gave a nod, “And did he give you any indication at all about what he was planning?”

“No! Virgil just seemed pretty chill and nice.”

“Chill and nice?” She repeated. “Did he ever seem upset or angered at those boys? Did he ever come off as creepy at all?”

“What? No, no. Virgil’s not  _ creepy _ . And I mean everyone gets annoyed with kids now and then and he’s the only one working his Cabin and-”

“So you think the pressure got to him?”

“What, no! I just mean-” He took a deep breath. “Virgil seemed just like the rest of us.”

The reporter gave what sounded like a disappointed hum, but she changed the subject. “Now, from what I understand you were also the last to hear from him. The two of you were texting?”

“Yeah. He was supposed to be picked up to go to a wedding, so my cabin was going to watch his cabin while he was gone.”

“And even then you got no indication like something like this would happen?”

“None.”

“Alright, from your answers I’m getting that you think Virgil is innocent?”

“Well-”

“But at the same time you haven’t exactly known him that long, have you?

“N-No, I haven’t.”

“So then it’s safe to say you could’ve simply just missed the signs, right?”

“I-I guess...”

The reporter gave a nod and turned back to the camera, “This has been Leanne Washington at Camp Storytime. We’ll be back shortly.”

~~~~

The moment he saw it Virgil was running towards it. Any fatigue or hunger or anything seemed to vanish in that instant as he saw the stream. He collapsed at its side and without a care stuck his whole face in the cool water. Somewhere in the back of his mind was a voice shouting that it was never a good idea to drink water you didn’t know was clean, but he couldn’t bring himself to care as he sat back a wild smile on his face. He’d been out here for what must’ve been about a day now. 

A day. 

A whole day spent wandering in one direction unsure of what else to do but wander and worry. His phone had died rather quickly after he had attempted to use it as a flashlight, and then of course he had no food and -until this moment- no water. All he had was himself and his thoughts.

His thoughts. 

Virgil gave a swallow at the air as he pulled himself to shaky feet. And as much as his body protested he forced himself to walk- this time following the stream. He’d find someone. 

He had to. 

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to yet another AU! 
> 
> As with all my aus the original idea was to have happy fluff throughout. But if you can read tags and descriptions that’s not where we will end up.
> 
> But welcome to the ride!
> 
> Feel free to check out my tumblr: jungle321jungle for more stuffs!


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